New commercial partnership secured with Alfilo Brands and Tmall.
The British Museum is continuing its growth in China, with Alfilo Brands revealing a newly elevated commercial partnership with Tmall.
Through the partnership Alfilo Brands will extend its development of licensed British Museum products with a variety of retail partners operating stores on Tmall over the next three years.
Alfilo Brands will continue to operate the museum’s store on Tmall and collaborate with Tmall on marketing campaigns to promote the museum’s products.
Since starting to work together in 2016, Alfilo Brands has developed over 500 products inspired by the museum’s cultural IP.
As a result, the British Museum now has the largest licensing programme in the cultural institution sector in China, with retail sales predicted to reach 350m yuan (US$51m) this year (inclusive of licensed merchandise, direct to retail and products under promotional licensing).
Products range from fashion, jewellery, home goods and textiles through to stationery and electronics.
“The IP themes and libraries we develop include rich content, such as narratives, prints and patterns, that are inspired by the museum’s celebrated artefacts, such as the Rosetta Stone and Greek pottery,” said Yizan He, founder and ceo of Alfilo Brands. “These IP assets allow our retail partners to create new and often completely unique products that are attractive and aspirational to consumers, especially in China where heritage is a deeply appreciated quality.”
The new partnership was marked during a signing ceremony hosted in the British Museum on December 12, attended by the museum’s chairman – Sir Richard Lambert – and senior executives from Tmall and Alfilo Brands (pictured).
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